Thursday, July 15

Winter




It's winter here in Hobart, snowed on the mountain today = Chilly indeed.
As life on the inside is the main activity at the moment all I want to do is drool over beautifully designed objects and furniture. I have fallen deeply inlove with these beautiful objects designed by Ana Kras.

Wednesday, June 2

I'm not going to lie...



I had a little weep when I came across these beautiful paper cuts by Elsa Mora:


Monday, May 24

Five faves

We've been really busy over here at Pip Emma HQ, but I'll spare you the excuses regarding our absence and skip right to...

FIVE FAVES (playing along with the fabulously named, Pip):




1. Locals who letter press. How can you not love the work of Ruby Victoria? She also admits she's a hoarder of stuff. Us too, us too. (The image above is from Ruby Victoria's blog)

2. Fonts. We love type. It's the foundation of great design, I reckon.

3. Making animal masks out of felt for big people and little people.

4. Ted Talks. Inspiring talks by fabulous people about interesting things. For free.

5. Saving our local radio. It's not so good that Edge Radio is in trouble but you can help by signing the petition or becoming a supporter. Or both!

Tuesday, April 27

Recipe: Carrot and Zucchini Fritters

I adapted a recipe from the very wonderful Hungry Girls Cook Book 2, last night.

Here's my version (it was TOPS):

Carrot and Zucchini Fritters

1 x medium - large carrot
1 x medium zucchini
1 x egg
25g (about 2 generous table spoons) plain flour
1 tsp (nice) curry powder or just cummin powder
1 x tsp of ground coriander OR some lovely fresh coriander
1/2 tsp salt
Olive oil
lemon wedge to serve

Grate the carrot and zucchini.
Combine well with the other ingredients.
Put a nice heavy bottom frying pan on the stove at a medium heat and dollop in some olive oil. Swirl it around to coat the pan.

Drop in a tablespoon-ish of mixure in the corner of your pan and spread it out thinly. Repeat. I got 4 fritters in my pan at once.

Cook one side until you see it browning around the edges and flip to cook the other side. Once cooked set aside and keep warm while you do the next batch.

Serve with lemon wedges.

We had ours with smoked salmon, pea sprouts (with lime and ginger balsamic vinegar) and some (stale. oops.) sourdough slices (toasted). YUM.

Nostalgia



Oh my goodness...vintage bikes!

From Dave's Vintage Bikes via Rifle

Monday, April 26

We love silhouettes











Vintage or new, on jewellery, books, paper goods and soft furnishings...silhouettes are a striking and simple design feature.

Plus, the word "silhouette" is pretty lovely, don't you think?

Images from
1. Ad Jewellery
2. Lucky Me Beads
3. Your Secret Admiral
4. Edie Beady
5. Trillium Artisans

Sunday, April 25

We love Chai Tea


High Tea
Originally uploaded by Margot-
I really love Chai Tea, its not an all the time drop but just a lovely treat for a sleepy tv type day. (I'm watching 'Murder She Wrote' on dvd, in new pj's with the heater on low - I highly recommend this amalgamation)

ingredients -
tea and spices

the basic recipe is something like

- Bring water to boil. add tea leaves (any black tea) and reduce heat.

- Add the spices: some cloves, cardamom (squeeze and crack the pods add them whole), a cinnamon stick (I like to break them into two).

- Simmer (until you get a nice rolling boil happening).
- Add some milk and cook a little more.

-Strain to serve.

-Sweeten to your own taste.

This on is a little fancier I found it here

1 Tbsp fennel or anise seed
6 green cardamom pods
12 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/4" ginger root, sliced thin
1/4 tsp black pepper corns
2 bay leaves
7 Cups water
Add, bring to a boil, and simmer 5 minutes:

2 Tbsp Darjeeling tea
Add:

6 Tbsp honey or brown sugar
1 Cup milk


Saturday, April 24

Oh my gosh darn


my sweet heart picked me a flower cos I'm a little under the weather, it really is the little things isn't it. (pic from here)

Thursday, April 22

We love Saddle Shoes



















Seriously Cute (have a look at these)

So I found a great DIY to make myself a pair of
off the charts cute Fifties Saddle Shoes at Bleubird Vintage.

As it is end season sale bargain time
I thought ha this will be great I'll wear
these till it gets too cold and then I'll wear them next season cos they will never go out of fashion in my book.

So I trotted off to town all excited
only to be disappointed at every shop stop
for no one had my size.

Grr so now I have to wait and sweet talk someone into driving me across town.
In the mean time I will be looking at the lovely photos bleubird took


and just ask can someone please make a pair of these.

Monday, April 19

WE Love Lotte



















Yep. We love Figgjo Lotte china, but in truth Pip loves it even more than me so I made her a little gallery to share mind fantasy drooling: Way pretty

WE Love Shelves













Have you ever wondered what we look like?

While eating cake and drinking creaming soda?

Something a little like this:



Yes, that shop is called The Cake Lady. Too cute, right?
( you can visit the Cake Lady at 12 Charles Street, New Norfolk, Tasmania)

Image by Pony Parade.

Sunday, April 18

Quince Paste

Quinces - They make the house smell like a home.

Yes autumn is here, always my favourite time of year, as birthday season is just around the corner and quinces are at the farmers market (or ripening up on a tree near you).

I cannot remember who gave me this recipe it may have been my aunt it may have been my mums friend Gail - either or thank-you it’s lovely and so easy which makes it all the better.

Ingredients:

4 or more Big Quinces

Lots of sugar

Wash the fur off the quinces, but do not peel them.

Put them whole into a pot; add enough water to cover them by about 3cm.

Bring to the boil. Reduce heat medium, cook for about 30 minutes, just until they begin crack open and the peel starts to come away. Remove from the pot and set them aside to cool.

When the quinces are cool enough to handle, peel them, and remove the seeds and cores, I found it easiest to carve the soft flesh away as opposed to cutting them up like apples.

Now weigh the quince flesh, and then mash them up (with a potato masher) or whiz them in a whizzer (thank-you really wonderful boyfriends mum) until smooth.

Transfer flesh to a saucepan, and add the same weight of sugar as fruit, Mix. Cook at a very low heat for about 1 hour, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the mixture blushes red and gets very sticky, and there is no visible liquid left.

Transfer it to a shallow dish (or if you are super cool some really cute jelly mould), and let it cool.

Once cool it should solidify and you can cut it up and portion it up for your true friends.

Its meant to last for up to 2 months in the fridge but I've never had it last that long. I brought stacks of Quinces in my excitement - so if anyone knows any more recipes please don't hesitate to share.

Monday, April 12

Five things...

Playing along with the other Pip!



1. The colour palette in the above image makes me so happy. Via Hannah and Landon.

2. Clients from Hell, schadenfreude and self-righteousness all wrapped up in one very amusing tumblr.

3. Hair simultaneously attracts me and freaks me out a little. I find myself drawing it a lot.

4. Roller derby has taken over my life. I play with the Convict City Rollers and I'm feeling fit as hell and ready for anything!

5. I'm currently reading the Sookie Stackhouse series. It's almost a guilty pleasure and I'm loving letting myself fall completely into a fantasy world before I drift off to sleep.

Wednesday, April 7

Cute





I have no idea how to credit this image, but I had to share it.
(If you do know its origin, let me know and I'll acknowledge it appropriately)

Monday, April 5

WE Love Five Faves - The Moon

Five faves playing along with Pip
1.

I don't really care how boring our moon really is, from where I stare its always rather beautiful.


2. Paper Moon Photo's are just so darling, so I made a collection here and if you need more check out our Favorites


4. I've seen the 1973 film Paper Moon starring Ryan O'Neal and his daughter Tatum nearly one billion times (If you haven't you're in for a super treat, its just really great).


5. And of course Sarah Moon, "I'm the Moon", Moonface was rather lovely, the 'Radiator Girl' in Lynch's Eraserhead was kind of moony, And anyway The Moon...

Sunday, April 4

Recipe: Sam's chicken balls of goodness



This recipe was a wedding offering from our friend Sam (partner-in-crime of Pony Parade). He's a real-live chef, so we try to invite him over for dinner as often as possible!

I made these for some other friends last night and they disappeared in seconds (they were also a hit with the teenagers).

Ingredients:
500g chicken thigh (I used chicken mince because I don't have a food processor)
1 x bunch coriander (use leaves)
2 x birds eye chilli
4 x lime leaves (I used lime juice as a subsitute)
3 x garlic cloves
1 thumb ginger
10 shakes of fish sauce

Blitz the lot until fine and with wet hands roll into teaspoon sized balls. Steam or bake 15 minutes. (I didn't blitz mine, just moshed it together well and rolled into balls)

Dipping sauce:
50ml fish sauce
50ml lime juice
1/3 cup grated palm sugar
1 chilli shredded
coriander roots
1 tsp shredded ginger
1 tsp shredded garlic

Allow to dissolve for one hour.

(image: low revolution)



Friday, April 2

WE Love Free Stuff


Well who the heck doesn't?
The Lovely Hannah of Hannah & Landon Metz (and if you haven't visited before boy are you in for a sumptuous treat) is hosting our very first Give Away and all you have to do is dish your most deliciously 'comedic tales of romance'


mine would be... mmm well, most of mine are more embarrassingly silly, sad and fickle than funny -

In my second year of art school in Melbourne, I had such a intense crush on one of my teachers I had to stop going to class, because every time he looked in my direction (let alone spoke directly to me) I would blush so uncontrollably crimson I thought I would actually die.

In early High School I remember detailed notes passed in class being confiscated and/or read aloud by teachers, grim days indeed, oh or love hearts and initials being seen by their appropriate affectioned partners, oh what a pain love could be.

Oh! I have another one, at the age of about 15, a young and rather brave boy who had a crush on me and came to my house very early one morning to leave me a flower and a note and when my step father heard someone creeping around outside he literally jumped out of bed and chased him away.

Oh! I have another one, mega boy crush, he is sleeping on our couch. I decide to be super brave and go kiss him, while he sleeps. I kiss him he awakens I run to my room thinking he will follow me - but no one arrives so I go look to see if he fell back asleep? no, he was confused by which room mate had kissed him and decided it must of been the more out going one so he entered her room and was not rejected. Ouch.

Tuesday, March 30

I just popped in to say...

Vintage arranged by colour?
YES PLEASE.



{ HERE }

Sunday, March 28

Five faves!



It's my turn to type out the five faves this week. Hooray!

1. Music - it's been a great weekend for music in Hobart. Notably the gentlemanly and wonderful Jandek and the fun and sweaty UV Race

2. Missed Connections - I love reading personal ads and imagining who wrote them, so naturally, I love this.

3. Spite Houses

4. Sunshine & Grease

5. Going to the farm gate market every Sunday ( for Hobartians - corner of Melville and Elizabeth Streets, every Sunday morning)

(Image from Missed Connections)


Thursday, March 25

Dreaming of shops

We are dreaming of a Pip Emma HQ, where zines and lovely things and nice creatures can all be together in one bright space (with a high ceiling, large windows and room for a letter press).

With that in mind - here's some lovely rooms and shop fronts and studio spaces from around the web-land:


via Design Sponge


via Hello Sandwich


via Design Sponge


via Forty-Sixth at Grace


via The Selby


via London Shop Fronts

Tuesday, March 23

We Love Playing Five Faves

Pip of Meet Me at Mikes stated a little Meme based on everyones 5 Favorite Things from this week.

Here are my Five Faves for this week :

1. Had the Happy Meat Book Launch - feels wonderful to have my work included with so many other great artists.
2. Girl Crisis singing
3. I have such a crush on this sweetheart
4. This makes me giggle

Sunday, March 21

WE LOVE BANANA CAKE


fruit bowl
Originally uploaded by olivia_marie
I was hoping this afternoon to make my nana's banana cake recipe but it was not where I thought it was so I made a very simple one up.

I had 3 super ripe bananas the kind that have no yellow left
I mashed these up.

3 super ripe bananas
150g unsalted butter
3/4 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 table spoon of honey
2 1/2 cups of plain flour
2 tea spoons baking soda
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of soy milk

turn oven to 170C
cream butter and sugar
add banana, eggs and honey.
Sift in all the dry ingredients and mix. Add milk.
Grease tin, pour batter in and pop in the oven.
bake for about 40 min and then pop a skewer in to make sure its done.
Leave to cool for about 20 min and then serve warm with a little cream and a nice cup of tea.

Saturday, March 20

Weekly round up (a day late...oops)



Are you going to Japan? Like looking at pictures of Japan? Like nice things? Breathe?
Whatever you are you'll probably like Hello Sandwich blog (see picture above!).

Just. Plain. Adorable. (via Rummey Bears)

Breath-taking photographs by Lina Scheynius (via Daydream Lily)

Lovely frou-frou and frills at Lobster and Swan.

I'm going to make this for dinner.

What are you doing this weekend?

Thursday, March 18

We Love Scalloped Edges



I made a Gallery with our new Flickr account in celebration of Scalloped Edges look here

If you are sewing talented consider this Scalloping Tutorial via Vain & Vapid, who by the way is just so fun and great, just look what she did.


If you have not come across Alexandra Grecco then I now command you to be inspired by this very talented lady.
You can visit her etsy store and own these shorts + more really lovely pieces.




Tuesday, March 16

Things to hate: Bad Manners

I may swear like a sailor, but I also appreciate good manners. It's not hard to do - a thank you note here, a courtesy wave there, being kind to that girl in the shop whose been working on her feet for 12 hours and many, many other small but necessary gestures.

Just to prove that we aren't all about the ladies here at Pip Emma, I give you The Rules of a Gentleman. Daily inspiration for good mannered (and well-dressed) fellows!

Monday, March 15

We Love Pyrex







We love Pyrex
We love it here
We love it here
We love it here

Sunday, March 14

Rhubarb Strawberry Crumble


I brought some rhubarb and some strawberries from a local farmers market, then I got home and found a recipe on Smitten Kitten entitled Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble, meow that's totally purr-fect.

I changed the recipe a tad to suit me more, let me know what you think.

Rhubarb with Strawberry Crumble


Topping:


1 cup flour

1/2 cup of oats

1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon of golden syrup
Zest of one lemon
125g butter


For the filling:
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1cm pieces
1 punnet of strawberries plus a few extras, hulled, quartered
Juice of one lemon (pinched from the neighbours tree)
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons of custard powder
Nice pinch of salt

1. Heat oven to 150C.


2. Prepare filling: Toss rhubarb, strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and a pinch of salt in a deep little pie dish and Mix.

3. Prepare topping: In bowl, sift in flour, baking powder, add sugars and lemon zest and add the melted butter.


4. Cover fruit with topping. Bake until crumble topping is golden and fruit is bubbling beneath, about 30 to 40 minutes.


Let it rest a little and then add some ice-cream or something else even naughtier.

Friday, March 12

The inaugural weekly internets round up!

Bringing, from us, to you, our favourite bits and bobs from all over the internet in sweet little weekly doses (with just the right amount of sugar).

(Adorable card file from Lovely Design via Rifle Blog)

Feeling down? This adorable lady is sure to make you feel better (or worse. If you're not into it.)

We like vintage cameras and so does our friend Sean Fennessy - he's the founder of Trip35.net, which celebrates all things about those wonderful little Olympus cameras that take such great photos. Check out the blog for your photographic fix.

Gorgeous vintage-esque handmade clothes - yes please!


Gotta run off to check out the Cube Art + Design opening (new shop!) - so have a great weekend all!

Thursday, March 11

we Love DIY



This is my Favorite DIY found on Park and Cube the full tutorial on twentythirtyforty.net.
I think I will skip the Pearling, so as not to break my back and because I'm a bit lazy and clouds are all I need to dream that I'm Alice half way down the rabbit hole.